Guilty plea to Mandurah teen murder

Guilty plea to Mandurah teen murder - The West Australian

A 20-year-old Pinjarra man has today pleaded guilty to murdering Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate, whose body was found in a roadside grave in December last year.

Kyle Rohan Garth appeared via video-link in Stirling Gardens Magistrate's Court this morning where he entered a guilty plea to one count of murder.

Garth was charged last year after Ms Cate's body was discovered by police in a roadside grave in Falcon.

The 15-year-old girl had accepted a lift home with Garth - her sister's former boyfriend - after finishing her shift at a local Woolworths. Her body was discovered two days later.

Jessie's mother Judy Cate and other family members were in court and were emotional after the plea was revealed.

Garth’s lawyer asked for a pre-sentence and psychiatric reports ahead of his sentencing on September 5 in the Supreme Court.

Outside court, Ms Cate said she and her family were relieved at the plea and the fact they would not have to endure a trial.

She said nothing could bring back her daughter and it was painful to see her Jessie’s killer in court.

"We just need to move on and get on with living without Jess. I don't want to go through any more heartache, I already know what Jess has gone through and I'm just relieved he's pleaded guilty.

"We have our moments where we are totally devastated, we're still in shock every day. I wake up every day not believing that it actually happened, but we've got to get on with it.

"We don't get Jessie's version of events, we only get Kyle's, we don't get any real answers. I'm sure Jessie went through a lot more than what we've been told but we can put this all behind us now... Jessie's gone, nothing can bring her back."

Jessie’s mother said her family would be petitioning for life sentences to continue for the term of an offender’s life.

"We've already got a life sentence so it's only fair that prisoners should get a life sentence as well that last for life," she said.